Name: Vegan Key Lime Pie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 8 h 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 cups sprouted rolled oats; ¼ cup gluten-free flour (or einkorn or all-purpose if you can tolerate gluten); ¾ teaspoon sea salt; ⅓ cup coconut oil; 3 tablespoon maple syrup; 2 teaspoon cold water; 1 can of full-fat coconut milk (400mL); ¼ cup cornstarch; ¼ cup maple syrup; ½ cup fresh lime juice (6-7 key limes or 3-4 regular limes); 2 tablespoon lime zest; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

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This easy vegan key lime pie is a healthier version of the well-known original. It features a homemade oat crumble crust filled with a creamy filling that's the perfect balance of tart and sweet. It's made with wholefood ingredients and minimal sweeteners.

key lime pie and pieces of limes — *This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here*.

I'm definitely a chocolate person, but sometimes even someone like me prefers a treat that's light and fruity over something dark and rich. You've gotta change it up sometimes!

I knew that key lime pies very often are made with a graham cracker crust, but I didn't want to eat storebought graham crackers and I also didn't want to make any from scratch. I settled on trying to make a similar type of crust, but with oats instead! It turned out great. No graham cracker crumbs required!

My husband and I both don't handle conventional dairy very well (and that's all that's available to us here in Canada), so very often our desserts are plant-based. I used coconut milk as the base for the lime filling and it turned out beautifully. You can't even taste the coconut!

We think it's a delicious dessert and hope you like it too!

Is Key Lime Pie Vegan?

Classic key lime pie contains many animal products, including butter, sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and heavy cream.

My version contains plant-based substitutes for these items, including coconut oil and coconut milk, so is completely vegan.

In our house we are totally fine with eating animal products, it's just that our bodies can't seem to handle the ultra-processed dairy from the store very well. We live in Canada where it's illegal to sell raw dairy, and one day I hope to live somewhere where we can have it. I'd love to see the difference, in taste and in how my body handles it.

Is This Recipe nut Free?

This recipe doesn't contain any nuts or nut products, so anyone with an allergy can have it!

Is Vegan Key Lime Pie Healthy?

This vegan key lime pie recipe is made with whole foods and less sweetener than most key lime pie recipes. I really try to use as little as possible!

Oats (sprouted) - Whole grain oats contain a good amount of fibre, protein and healthy fat, along with high amounts of many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. In fact, one serving of oats contains more than 20% of the recommended daily values for 7 vitamins and minerals. They are also famous for their ability to lower the risk of heart disease.

Oats (and many other whole grains) contain an anti-nutrient called phytic acid, which blocks the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body. Sprouting neutralizes the phytic acid and makes the oats more digestible. This is why I recommend using sprouted oats, but regular rolled oats work just fine too!

Coconut oil - High in lauric acid (and smaller amounts of other healthy fatty acids), which can change quickly into energy in the body, and improve heart health and brain function.

Maple syrup - Natural and contains a small number of vitamins and minerals. It is still sugar, so it's best to use as little as possible! And this recipe contains much less sugar than traditional key lime pie.

Coconut milk - This is the base of the pie filling. Coconut milk is high in fat and many vitamins and minerals. It's important to look for canned coconut milk without any additives (like guar gum) and packaged in cans that do not contain BPA (a chemical that can lead to cancer and reproductive problems...). The more simple and natural the better, so make sure you read the label!

Fresh limes - High in Vitamin C and antioxidants, and contain small amounts of many other nutrients, including calcium, iron and Vitamin B6.

What is the Difference Between Limes and Key Limes?

True key limes are smaller in size and more yellow in color than regular limes. They are also slightly sweeter.

You can use regular or Persian limes in place of key limes and the result will still be delicious. Key limes can be difficult to find, depending on where you live.

Can I Use BOttled Lime Juice?

I don't recommend using bottled lime juice. The flavor of fresh key lime juice (or regular lime juice) is just SO much better!

Can I Use a Substitute for the Cornstarch?

In many recipes, you can use arrowroot flour (also known as arrowroot starch or powder) in place of cornstarch and not notice any difference. I tested this recipe using both and the pie filling made with arrowroot powder did not set. So, unfortunately, I don't have a good substitute for cornstarch in this recipe!

Can You Taste the COconut?

No, the lime flavor is so potent that even though we use full-fat coconut milk as the base, you can't taste any coconut flavor!

Tools You May Need

Food processor

9-inch pie plate

Citrus juicer & zester

Saucepan

How to Make Vegan Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

OAT CRUMB CRUST

2 cups sprouted rolled oats
¼ cup gluten-free flour (or einkorn or all-purpose if you can tolerate gluten)
¾ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup coconut oil
3 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoon cold water

PIE FILLING

1 can of full-fat coconut milk (400mL)
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup fresh lime juice (6-7 key limes or 3-4 regular limes)
2 tablespoon lime zest
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Crust: Grease the pie plate with coconut oil. Blitz oats, salt and flour in a food processor for about 1 minute (a coarse flour will form).

Add coconut oil and pulse until the oil becomes incorporated. Add maple syrup and water. Pulse until the dough is moist and holds its shape when pressed against the side of the bowl. If needed, add more cold water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough is moist.

oat crumb crust mixture in food processor

Press pie dough into greased pie pan all across the bottom and up the sides. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Poke the bottom of the crust with a fork a few times (to prevent bubbles in the crust). Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the crust becomes golden. Cool for at least 30 minutes before adding pie filling.

Filling: Whisk ¼ cup coconut milk and corn starch together until no clumps remain. (If the coconut cream and coconut water have separated in the can, I just mix the cornstarch with the coconut water.) Add this mixture and all remaining filling ingredients, including the rest of the coconut milk to a saucepan.

key lime filling mixture ingredients in saucepan

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until mixture starts to bubble. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool in the pot for 10 minutes.

Pie: Pour the key lime pie filling into cooled pie crust, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

How to Serve Vegan Key LIme Pie

Key lime pie goes perfectly with a dollop of coconut whipped cream, or regular whipping cream if you eat dairy.

How to Store Vegan Key Lime Pie

Store leftover key lime pie covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. I don't recommend freezing this pie, as it can change the texture of the filling.

Did you try this recipe? If so, I would really appreciate a 5-star rating and your comments below! Thanks!

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